Streamy Water for Salmon

[elwyman]

This is a photo of some typical streamy water on the Spey - it is Big Stream at Grantown:



This type of water, fast flowing with boulders forming potential lies, is not common on the rivers I have fished. I've no experience of fishing this type of water, but often think of it as being classic fly water for salmon in Scotland.

My questions are:

1. When would you fish this streamy water - is it worth fishing this type of water all year round, or is it better at summer levels for grilse, and perhaps for ambushing running fish at higher levels?

2. Given the choice, when would you fish this type of water in preference to the deeper/main holding pools?

3. Presumably any fish are in small deeper pockets near boulders?

Sorry for the complicated nature of the question, but it's nice looking fly water and I often walk past similar looking water without fishing it!

[granters]

I can only answer from personal experience. We had a few days on the Helmsdale (town water) last season and the 2 of us had nothing going into lunchtime on the second day. We'd followed all local advice and stuck to the main pools. On the way back for lunch my brother thought "sod it!" and had a few casts in water very much like the picture, that we'd been told not to spend too much time on. Then BAM! pulled a fish out from behind a rock, about 4feet deep. This was in slowly falling water on a hot day. Don't know if this helps any.

[scotty]

elwyman,i lost a salmon in that vey pool last june ,not easy to keep a hold of in there . once you are in the water you will see the fishy lies, mostly in the creases of water to the side of big rocks. fish fast streamy water when the sky is blue and you feel you would be better off getting a tan with a cool beer in your hand ;D ;D, if you do fish this pool wade with care there are deep pockets along the left bank, but you dont realy need to get out that far, also if you do fish here and the fish are running try upsteam just a wee bit at the casting platform (you cant miss it) fish stop there for a breether.

scotty.

[leo]

Granters
I'm surprised you were advised by the locals not to spend much time on the rocky streamy water "the streams" -if that's where you mean, on the town water on the Helmsdale (unless the water was very high). Quite a few grilse are caught there, especially dibbling mid-summer.

[Fruin]

The general advice would be to fish the slower pools in cold water conditions, i.e. early Spring, and to start to include the streamier water as the water warms a bit.
Fish may sulk more in slower flows, where as, they will be on the fin in faster water and more alert, ready to snap at your fly. As a friend of mine often says "Active water, active fish!"
If the water gets too higher temperatures that reduce the oxygen content, the fish will favour the streamy water with higher oxygen content.
That said, even in cold water conditions the fish still have to pass the streamy water, and will often pause for a quick rest in a slacker pocket of water within the stream.

[tyneandrew]

I enjoy fishing 'different' lies occasionally in water such as that - when i am fishing a full week for instance and have time to experiment.

A good friend of great experience found the most unlikely spot on the river Don where he picked up 3 May springers during a weeks fishing. A piece of water that takes 2 or 3 casts literaly, and most fishers would never even consider it. Just a little pot in the middle of some fast water.

We found a similar spot on the Tyne system that produced a few fish last season.

So yeah, give those little pots ago if the main pools are not producing. Like Fruin says - they have to pass through.

[granters]

leo said:

Granters
I'm surprised you were advised by the locals not to spend much time on the rocky streamy water "the streams" -if that's where you mean, on the town water on the Helmsdale (unless the water was very high). Quite a few grilse are caught there, especially dibbling mid-summer.

Aye , we were there in september, but we were told to concentrate on the top of the beat. There were certainly lots of fish showing up there to be fair. Also on our catch history, only 2 or 3 fish were caught in the streams in the same month the year before. But i think thats more to do with it quitening down towards the end of the season. The water had been high on the first day so i think the fish were running straight through the beat, and on the second they were stopping at the top of the beat in falling water.

[leo]

Sorry, as you said it was a hot day I wrongly assumed you were there mid summer with low water. As you say, the top of the beat seems the best bet after a bit of a rise.

[granters]

It was my typical luck those 2 days. We were out before sunrise in t-shirts, at the end of September. It was the warmest September i can ever remember

[macd]

streamy water is always worth a cast- even just a quick one to see if hes there. A nice big fly - longtailed shrimp on a 6 double or similar works for me.

R

[beanieboy]

I think you will find the explanation below as good as you will get.

fruin said:

The general advice would be to fish the slower pools in cold water conditions, i.e. early Spring, and to start to include the streamier water as the water warms a bit.
Fish may sulk more in slower flows, where as, they will be on the fin in faster water and more alert, ready to snap at your fly. As a friend of mine often says "Active water, active fish!"
If the water gets too higher temperatures that reduce the oxygen content, the fish will favour the streamy water with higher oxygen content.
That said, even in cold water conditions the fish still have to pass the streamy water, and will often pause for a quick rest in a slacker pocket of water within the stream.

[elwyman]

Some good advice there, thanks.

Scotty - I can imagine the problems you had trying to hold onto a fish in that water. I hooked a fish in the tail of a pool on Upper Tweed last season and it ran 200 yards downstream through fast streamy water like that. "Only 12lb", but unstoppable in that sort of water.

[scotty]

sad thing is i have only ever hooked a couple of salmon on the fly and never landed one but this year............ ;D ;D

scotty.